Creeper attachment for tractor wheels



June' 17, 1930. MOORE 1,764,526 CREEPER ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR WHEELS Filed Dec. 27, 1926' Him I John Turner/"acre 'g'wuz'ntoz Patented June 17, 19 36 J JOHN TURNER MOORE, OF NEAR WERNE i svn tn, r nlvivsvnvhnm, A ssIGno 't, ,i2Y MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 REX-WATSON conronn'rron', .orcnnAsroTA, NEW. Yong, ACORPORAIION on NEW YORK g cnnnrnn ATTAGI-IMENTEOB; .rRAcronfw Enns Application filed December 27,1926. Serial nbl iszaes.

- This invention relates to an improved endless trackor creeper tread devlce for tractors.

-light construction without detracting from the strength thereof. A further object is to prolong the life of the tread members of such a track more or L.

less indefinitely.

More specifically, the invention consists in producing a tread member or block of hollow construction, said member having v tendlng from said hollow llltGI'lOT-tO the surface of sa1d member. A vertically disposech wear plates or plugs engageable by the teeth "of the wheel that runs on the track, said plates being renewable when necessary,

thereby eliminating the necessity of disoarding the entire member when the portions which would ordinarily be engaged by said teeth have become worn to an excessive extent. By this prolonging the usefulness of the tread member, the cost of maintenance is appreciably reduced- With these and other objects in view, the

present invention consists in certain novel details of construction, comblnatlons and ar rangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described, and the novel fea-- pointed out in the appended.

- cavity is considerably greater than the; length of the 'tooth. .This difference-Z in tread blocks produced in accordance with the present invention, it being understood that the track proper is composed of an ark n T In 'order that the 'treadzblo'cks may last ticulated series of such members.

Fig. ,2 .is a vertical sectional view on the view on the tread block.

F g. 9 is a side elevation of a modified 7 One object of the inventionis to provide a tread member or link of comparatively forni of. tread block designed for use with It chain wheels having "teeth wvliich :do not project beyond the periphery of the wheel. As will be understood, the endless track (not-shown) for pivotally connecting to- Each block 42 preferablyconsists of-a hollow casting, the-intermediate portion 53b8- lng hollow, as shown-,with openings 54 ex- I iscomposed of a series ,of articulated links oa T or tread blocks 42, each block being formed 4' at opposite edges with a pluralityof. apertured ears'57 for the reception of hinge pins is arranged within: the intermediate portion,

said rib merging into. the endwalls56; The

' intermediate-portion is provided at one'edge wlth' a' pair of ears 57';:jand located betweem.

the 'ends 58' and the intermediate portion-53 of each tread block, in the wheel engaging -surface--of said block, arekcavityparts 59. Each of these iparts' 1s concavoeconve'x in form to provide a cavity or' depression 60 having fconvergingw 'end' walls .61: 'These cavlties are adapted to receive the teeth 11 may be'clearlyxseen' thatf'the length ofthe length of thetooth; and cavity is'forlthe purpose of permittingJthe-tooth to-play,so to speak, in the cavity in order that there may be provided aniallowance for slack, etc.

indefinitely,*the converging walls 61 of each cavity are provided with wear. plates or "of the wheel or, wheels and, from Fig.7, it

plugsi62 removably -secured therein. Each ofthese plugs is madeof hardmetal and a:

includes a head 63'having ashank 64. The head 63 is semi-cylindrical, as indicated at 65, to form a rocking surface for the teeth of the wheels. To fasten the wear plug 62 in place, the cavity portion of the treadas block is provided with holes 66 adapted to receive the shanks 64 of said plugs and pins 67 are secured in alined holes extending through the tread block .and shank of the plug. If the chain is employed on a trailerf:

gether adjacent" links of the chain'or tract-ism it will be obvious that the walls of the cavity 60 or the wear plugs 62 will function as teeth to push the teeth 41 of the wheels thereby turning the latter. Onerend of each of thecavity portions 59 1 0f the tread block is'provided with an apertured ear 68, and the Opposite end. of each of the extremities of the tread block is provide'd'with' an" apertured lug 69, the lugs 57, m 68*and 69 receivingthe pins 70 that are employed for pivotally connecting the ]uxtaposed tread blocks. v i V In Fig. 7 the teeth 41- are illustrated as projecting beyond the periphery of wheel but, if desired, in lieu of such a construct'io'n wheels with sockets in their peripheries niay beutilized. If wheels of this character are employed, thetread blocks are modifiedinconstructio'n as illustrated in Fig. 9,

' 2 %:Wll616l11' the inclined walls 78; correspond to the inclined walls 61 in the cavities 0 and are. arranged. above the upper surfaces 79 V of thetread block 80. Wear blocks 81 may also be utilized inthis modified type of my treadblock; In this modified construction it: may be necessary. to providefleach tread block with an upwardly extending lug or a pair of lugs-82 to engage the wheel webs andprevent undue lateral movementofthe chain. I

What I claim is: V I g In an endless track structure" for ve- I hicles, a tread block having an aperture therein, a wear plug including a head and I shank, said shank extending into said aperture, and the headbeing formed of hardened metal. e r

2. In an endless track structure for vehicles, a tread block having :a wear plug de- -tachably connected'thereto and comprising a-shank, and a hardened metal head, said head having a curved wearing surface.

3. In an endless track structure for vehicles, a seriesof tread blocks forming part of the track, each tread block being provided with opposed apertured surfaces, and wear'plugs engaging said surfaces andhaving shanks detachably'mounted in said apertures; 4. In anendless track structure, a tread block provided with apertured ears, said tread block being of hollow formation and having converging opposed surfaces, and wear plugs associated with said'surfaces. 5s: Intestimony whereofI affix my signature.

JOHN TURNER MOORE. 

